Augmented Fourth
by Michiyo Ichimaru
Summary: Rio contemplates the rules of Music Theory with instruction by Kousuke, as she wonders if the terrible augmented fourth is really so bad... RioKou


Augmented Fourth

A Spiral One-shot Fanfic

By Michiyo Ichimaru

Glazed grey eyes ghosted across the room, completely oblivious on the surface. Stopping at the piano, her eyes blinked and focused on the glassy black and white keys. "The melody of logic always plays the notes of truth, huh?" Rio set down the stuffed bunny she had been petting and walked across the room to Eyes' beautiful grand piano. For a while now, she had been trying to figure it out. Picking a note at random, she played it and let it ring until it died out. And then another, higher note, letting it die, too before playing them both together.

Rio listened to the sound for a second and considered it. _A bitter sound…_ Rio looked back down at the two notes she played and pushed again, not letting go and letting it play out.

"Ugh." Brilliant green eyes cringed slightly and Kousuke straightened from his position against the door frame. Rio gasped and released the notes, turning to stare at Kousuke and scowled, looking back down at the piano and the two notes, where her fingers still rested gently. "Just as I thought… it's a bad interval…" he said, smirking proudly at his basic knowledge of music theory.

"What? How do you know that?" Rio asked, looking at the notes again. It sounded sour, but the sound suited her in her current mood. Besides, she never heard of such a stupid rule. Then again… she never heard anything about it at all, good or bad. _So how come the idiot knows? Is it that obvious… or maybe he's bluffing. Even more likely, it's just his opinion. Yeah… that has to be it!_

Kousuke put his hand over hers and gently pressed until the two notes were played again. "It's an augmented fourth, Rio… not something you'll see in many pieces. You can say it's one of those rules you don't want to break… one of MANY rules you aren't supposed to break" he laughed.

"Rules? To music? Where did you learn that?" Rio asked skeptically. Kousuke just laughed harder and pushed her over so he could sit. He spread his fingers over the keys and began playing a scale on both hands, starting on the first note she played and going up a whole octave and coming down two. Then he started playing a simple tune on his right hand and some block chords on his left.

She watched in awe, listening to the song and wondering where he learned it. "Pull that from a beginner's book?" she asked when he stopped, laughing triumphantly. "It's not THAT great."

Kousuke laughed. "It's CALLED improvisation, Rio. Following the rules of Music Theory, you can make up music as you go. THAT'S what I was doing." Rio stared, mouth hanging open. _He… made it up? When did he learn something like that?!_ Rio sat on the edge of the bench, with her back to him so he couldn't see her face.

"What did you call it? A… augmented fourth? You said it isn't found in many pieces… that it's against the rules…" Rio smiled. "Sounds like my kind of music." She said, leaning back against him and smiling softly. "Would you write a piece for me… using it?" she asked softly, barely audible. But she knew he heard her. Rio felt the way he jumped in his skin. He turned his head to look at the back of her head and regarded her strangely.

He let one hand go back to the keys and play the notes from before, but he didn't stop… he resolved the awkward notes and turned it into a song. It sounded bitter at first, the effects of the augmented forth. And it sounded like she felt… it sounded like music to describe her life. But the way he resolved it… turning it into something hopeful and light… Rio smiled and closed her eyes and submitted to the song.

She hardly realized when he stopped. "Well?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at the back of her head again. Rio shook her head and sighed.

"Stupid Kousuke… You think I'M stupid? Now I KNOW you lied! If YOU can turn it into a song, there's no WAY it can be THAT bad." Rio stood up and turned to him, sticking out her tongue. Kousuke shook his head and sighed.

"Why do I try…?" he muttered to himself, standing up. "Believe what you want, Rio." He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and shuffling towards the door. Rio ran to catch him and grabbed his arm, holding him back and smiling brilliantly at him.

"Oh really? Then prove it to me! Teach me…" she said, smiling and tugging on his arm. "Prove it! Show me…"

Kousuke stared at her blankly in shock. When it wore off, he smiled. "Think you can handle it, little girl?" he asked tauntingly, pinching her cheek affectionately with his other hand. "Fine. I'll teach you… under one condition." He said, lifting on finger and poking her in the forehead with it. "If I agree to teach you, you have to stop calling me stupid." He said, smirking. "Can you do that?"

Rio laughed. "Sure." She agreed, taking his hand and shaking it. As soon as she let go, she ran to the door and grinned wickedly.

"Silly Kousuke… there are a lot worse things I could call you." But she didn't run away anymore. "Well? Are you coming?" She extended her hand to him and grabbed his, pulling him along after her. _Two notes that don't normally go together… but Kousuke proved that they can. I suppose there are worse things. Maybe it's okay to admit something like that…_

"Kousuke…?" Rio asked innocently. "If an augmented fourth is a bad interval, then what is a good one?"

He thought about it and smiled. "Well, one example is a perfect fifth. Why…?"

"You and Ryoko… it suits you two. I mean… you guys are really a perfect fifth." She said softly, turning her back to him.

Kousuke gasped and stared at her in awestruck silence. There was a long pause, and then… he laughed.

"Eh, I never was the kinda guy who goes for that kinda thing." He said, hugging Rio from behind. "Besides… I'm far from perfect. I'd rather go through all the trouble of making the augmented fourth fit. Proves that I can choose my own destiny… right?"

Rio smiled, remembering the uplifting hope in Kousuke's song and nodded. "Your right. Besides… only weaklings take the easy way out!" She said leading him out of the apartment. The piano was far behind them, but both of them could still hear the lingering sound of the notes played. Kousuke reminded himself to try to recreate that song when he got home…

- Owari -

Another one-shot on this pairing that just came to mind in Music Theory class one day. Please review! Thanks.


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